Structured Pathology Reporting of Cancer Newsletter

Transcription

1 Structured Pathology Reporting of Cancer Newsletter Welcome to the second quarterly edition of the Structured Pathology Reporting of Cancer newsletter. This newsletter is intended to provide information on the project to expand and promote the use of structured pathology reporting of cancer. Protocols - implementation aids The protocols for the six most common cancers- Lung, Melanoma, Breast, Colorectal, Lymphoma and Prostate - are published on the RCPA website. To view the protocols or download them please go to: June Issue 2. Index : (click on a title below to go directly to that story) Protocols - implementation aids Education update International collaboration More protocols Protocol versioning explained IAP PDF versions of this newsletter are available from the structured pathology website. In order to facilitate the implementation of the protocols three supporting implementation aids are in development: Paper forms that provide a means to document the report findings on paper, A simplified guide of the items and responses to check-off against your report, An electronic form that will allow you to enter the data on screen and then , print, or copy and paste to an LIS system. All three implementation aids are expected to be ready in July Feedback To improve the protocols it is important that we receive your feedback. Please take the time to fill in a feedback form available from the website at:

2 Education update The planned education event for structured pathology reporting was held for the identified state champions on 16th April. At this meeting Associate Professor David Ellis Chair of the Cancer Services Advisory Committee of the RCPA, provided a general background and overview on structured pathology reporting. Presentations were then given by each of the chairs of the protocol expert committees: Colorectal - Prof Bob Eckstein Prostate - Prof James Kench Lung - Dr Jenny Ma Wyatt Melanoma - Prof Richard Scolyer Breast - Prof Michael Bilous Lymphoma - Dr Debbie Norris From left at 16th April education event: Michael Bilous, Robert Eckstein, Andrew Tie, Bastiaan de Boer, Jenny Ma Wyatt, David Ellis, Paul McKenzie, Shaun Donovan, Thomas Robertson, Leonie Constable, David Moffat. Each presentation was videoed and a DVD has been made. Copies of the DVD are available from Meagan Judge on Meaganj@rcpa.edu.au. The videos are also available from the structured pathology reporting website. Meetings to promote structured pathology reporting will now be organised in each state and in New Zealand. To find out what's happening in your state please contact Meagan. International collaboration The Royal College of Pathologists UK (RCPath) and the College of American Pathologists (CAP) have been engaged in cancer dataset

3 development for some time and both have extensive lists of datasets posted to their respective websites. Since all evidence-based cancer protocols are necessarily derived from international peer reviewed literature, it is inevitable that cancer protocols produced by any organisation will contain similar, and often identical, data elements, naming conventions and value lists. The RCPA has been engaged in discussions with RCPath, CAP and the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer (CPAC) (Canada are adopting the CAP protocols) and all parties are interested in closer collaboration. To further this effort the RCPA and the College of American Pathologists have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). This MOU essentially provides for the following: 1. To foster communication between the two parties. Representatives from CAP will be asked to sit on the RCPA cancer committees and RCPA representatives will be asked to sit on the CAP committees. 2. In the longer term we hope to release a single set of Cancer Protocols that address both RCPA s and CAP s requirements. However, the shorter term goal of the MOU is to agree to collaborate and work to establish the following common elements between the parties: i. Mandatory Items (including permitted responses and definitions); ii. iii. Optional Items (including permitted responses and definitions); and Naming conventions for data elements. The third process is endorsement of each others protocols. RCPA can submit to CAP and vice versa their protocol and request endorsement. This MOU is a huge step forward in international collaboration and provides a very important step in cancer dataset development. More protocols In 2010, the following protocols are being developed: Gynaecology vulva and endometrium Gastrointestinal gastric Genitourinary - kidney Neurological - brain Head, neck and Endocrine thyroid and oral cancer Bone and soft tissue soft tissue sarcoma Prostate Core biopsy and TUR In discussion with Royal College of Pathologists UK (RCPath) we have raised the possibility of a joint development of a protocol for Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Conjunctiva. This is a protocol which has not previously been developed and offers an excellent opportunity for international collaboration. In addition, we are also looking at developing a testicular cancer protocol later this year in support of the work by Cancer Australia

4 and Andrology Australia to develop cancer datasets for Prostate and Testicular cancer. Protocol versioning explained Have you noticed a version number listed next to the protocol on the website? Each published protocol is described by a bipart version number e.g. V1.1. The first number indicates the edition and the second indicates a specific update to that version. A new edition is created based on the following: Changes to any standard or guideline numbering including deletions, new additions, modifications to wording etc.* Changes to the meaning of any commentary e.g. new method of calculation. Changes to any Cancer Staging information e.g. release of an updated staging manual by AJCC. Version updates V1.2, V1.3 etc represent minor formatting updates only and do not substantially change the content of the protocol in anyway. An update to an edition may be released for the following reasons: Formatting updates Minor modifications including: o Minor corrections eg spelling or punctuation o Reference updates o Rewording of commentary that does not change the meaning but is for the purposes of clarification only. To review the update process in more detail, please refer to the release strategy document on the website for more information. Updates The protocols have had the following updates: Update to the disclaimer in all protocols. The RCPA has developed these protocols as an educational tool to assist pathologists in reporting of relevant information for specific cancers. While each protocol includes standards and guidelines that are indicators of minimum requirements and recommendations, it should be noted that as a first edition these documents have not been through a full cycle of use, review and refinement. Therefore, during this initial cycle of use, the inclusion of standards and guidelines in each document is provided as an indication of the opinion of the relevant expert authoring group, but should not yet be regarded as widely accepted peer professional opinion. The use of these standards and guidelines should be subject to the clinician s judgment in each individual case. The

5 disclaimer at the front of each protocol includes wording to this effect. Minor formatting updates e.g. bolding to the checklist in Lung, Lymphoma and Colorectal. IAP The 35th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Australasian Division of the International Academy of Pathology Limited (IAP) was held on June 4-6, 2010, at the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour. Structured pathology reporting education DVDs, examples of the guides and forms, and the opportunity to see the prototype of the electronic form proved popular at the RCPA booth. A/Prof s David Ellis and Paul McKenzie at the RCPA booth at the IAP conference. WEBSITE: You have received this message because you are listed as a stakeholder of the national structured pathology reporting project. If you do not want to receive this newsletter in the future, please MeaganJ@RCPA.EDU.AU